Chapter 78: Renewal (Part 3)

"...And you think this will work."

"I believe so, Master. While there still exists no shortage of unclear or inconsistent records and methodologies related to the Wisdom Cubes what is clear is that strong memories and recollections of individuals - when brought forth during the incarnation phase of a Wisdom Cube activation - will affect the end result. It is why Aegir and August were manifested in the way they were, as you will recall."

Giving TB a sidelong stare as the AI - now in a physical body as he'd promised long ago - idly kicked her feet through the air the Aloadae pointedly remarked, "We still haven't been able to create new Wisdom Cubes as of yet, every one that we screw up on means one less Shipgirl brought back into the fold."

Flipping through a number of manuals and reports - the AI seeming to greatly enjoy the physical action as opposed to simply accessing it electronically - she affirmed, "I am well aware of that, Master. But at a certain point we will have to simply begin actual trials as opposed to theoretical work that may not even be founded in reality, as uncomfortable a thought that may be."

Grimacing at the blunt but ultimately grounded words Alexander turned his gaze towards where Akashi was fiddling with something, surrounded by a small mound of tools and heavy machinery from where she'd put the finishing touches on a new and improved device that was apparently how a Shipgirl was brought forth, the male unable to decide if the thing looked like some gargantuan death contraption or a state of the art piece of technology that would turn their whole situation around.

It could be kinda hard to tell with the emerald-haired cat's idea of aesthetics.

"Hey, Akashi."

"NYA?! H-hey, what do you need, nya?"

The Aloadae narrowed his eyes, not missing how the minty kitty had thrown her phone into one of her voluminous sleeves and adopted a patently false expression of innocence.

"You were buying more stuff off of the internet, weren't you?"

"Who, me? No way, nya! I'm totally innocent, the budget is-"

"She has recently purchased a bevy of products, ranging from the innocuous hand mittens and assorted swimwear to heavy grade machinery adept at smithing various sculptures-"

"How do you know all of that, nya?!"

"I am currently the main authority and protective software watching over Azur Lane's electronic systems, your password is no great obstacle to overcome."

"Invasion of privacy!"

Pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation Alexander couldn't help but think that the internet was a mistake, no matter how useful it was going to end up being moving forward.

While it was mostly restricted to government and military use at the moment - Azur Lane being the center of its operations - there were already unofficial websites and other things that Akashi had essentially turned into a small merchant and wares empire that had enabled her clearly addictive habits of buying and selling at varying levels of profit and loss.

"As long as she doesn't start selling Shinseis on the open market I think everything will be okay. Mostly."

"Look, forget about your liberal spending of what should be a tight budget-"

"This isn't even a fraction of a fraction of what we have to work with, nya!"

"-and tell me this thing is going to work as intended."

Seizing on the change in subject with zero shame the Repair Ship motioned towards the massive device, stating, "It'll work as intended. I still had the blueprints and technical diagrams of the one we had at Azur Lane with some upgrades of my own added along the way, it's the best we're ever gonna get when it comes to pulling this off."

"...Right. TB, how soon can we have our first trial run ready?"

"Three days, Master."

"Alright, I'll call a meeting and make sure everyone is present and ready for it. If you don't need me for anything else then I'll be walking around the base, just want to keep getting a feel for how it's going with construction and everything else."

"Of course, Master."

"Yeah, I should do the same-"

TB's Rigging - a smaller version of Zero's - snapped out a gelatinous tentacle and picked the Sakura up by the scruff of her neck, dangling her eye level with an annoyed TB as the Neo Siren pointedly remarked, "You have a number of monetary transgressions that need addressing. And you will not be leaving until they HAVE been addressed."

Akashi sent a pleading look the Aloadae's way, the man allowing the Repair Ship a moment of his sympathy…and cheerfully replied, "It's bad form for one of the leaders of Azur Lane to allow his subordinates such lax attitudes towards personal responsibility and fiscal awareness. Do your worst, TB."

"T-traitor, nya! What about all those times I fixed up your armor?!"

Whistling a cheerful tune as he left the underground facility Alexander elected to take the stairs, ascending them at a sedate pace for a fair few minutes before keying open the door leading outside, a pair of Bunker drones and one of the few surviving Towers briefly twitching his way before returning to their silent vigil with perfect efficiency.

…A long, tired sigh escaped Curtis' lips, even as the warm weather complimented by a soothing breeze did wonders for his spirits. They were on the cusp of finding out whether one of his fondest wishes was even possible and it was honestly starting to get to him a little, jittery excitement and crushing anxiety forming a potent cocktail that had him switching moods faster than Aegir after a Battleship's worth of beer.

"And the best solution for crap like that? Progress."

The new Azur Lane was coming along nicely, local ambience mixed in with heavy machinery and the calls of construction managers as the whole place grew by the hour, his legs automatically carrying him towards where the barracks and dorms were being built, the sprawling complexes resembling a kicked over anthill as Bulins, drones and Human workers acted in well-practiced concert to get everything ready for the absolute torrent of volunteers they were expecting in about a month's time.

They had planned for around 500,000 thousand people to sign up for the service and planned accordingly, subsequently being caught completely off guard by almost five MILLION applications to the organization that had left them scrambling to reorganize their initial layout of Azur Lane.

The kicker of it all? It was apparently his speech that had galvanized so many to join because it had been the Maid Corps who had done the initial census and he did not believe for a second Belfast's personal contingent of superhumans would have missed the mark by a factor of ten.

Fast forward a month and they had been forced to admit that Azur Lane was going to resemble a small city more than it did military installation, complete with the amenities and infrastructure that accompanied such an undertaking.

"At least the island is big enough for it…"

"Ah, Alexander-sama."

Blinking as Amagi split from a collection of Bulins and drones a serene smile appeared on the woman's face, movements graceful and elegant as she happily stated, "Excellent news, the Bulins believe that they will have the facilities on this side of the island completed in three weeks time, one week ahead of schedule."

"That is indeed excellent, the more time we have to get people settled in ahead of schedule the better…the ports are going to be a nightmare."

Amagi bowed her head slightly, lightly replying, "A good nightmare to have, if I may say so."

"Well thankfully I have my own news to impart, pass along the word that in three days we're going to start with the Wisdom Cube experiments to see if we can start bringing your sisters back."

Excitement glimmered in Amagi's eyes, her tails swaying with eagerness as she said, "I will do so, Alexander-sama…would there be a point to reminding you that you should not be so fearful, that we will not hold you accountable to failures outside your control?"

"I'd like to say there is, but I guess that I'm just going to be a permanent ball of nerves."

The Battleship slipped her arm through his, smiling as she directed him further into the sprawling maze of buildings, Alexander reflecting that the warmer climate and sandy shores not yet paved over in many spots had caused the Sakura to adopt a…pleasant wardrobe change, her normal robes replaced with a loose kimono of dark gray that loosely hung from her shoulders and stopped at her thighs, bodysuit affording her an air of sophisticated sensuality as her tails lightly brushed against his larger frame in soothing patterns.

"Then allow me to give you a tour of the construction thus far, perhaps that shall soothe your anxieties somewhat."

"By all means, lead on."

Directing his attention towards the unadorned and bare hardened concrete the Aloadae quickly discovered that the designers had come to the conclusion that just because the whole place was a military installation didn't mean that it all had to look like shit. The roofs of the buildings had been converted into small gardens of both soil and various plants to give it some color and help with heat and cold retention, the entrances tastefully surrounded by an assortment of tropical plants while a few clearings had shade courtesy of palm trees and picnic tables. It was still military in nature - the walkways were wide and took up most of the available foot space - but there was just enough personality to the place that it didn't become dreary.

…and the Shipgirl dorms were just a stone's throw away, Alexander under no illusions whatsoever that given time and his possible success the whole thing would quickly start to look like a carnival attraction.

"You're sure these buildings aren't too close together?"

"How so?"

Wondering how to best put his concern Alexander eventually decided bluntness was the best option, stating, "Young men can get pretty rowdy and pull stupid shit, especially when they're full of testosterone and next to a haven of lovely ladies. I'm sure personalities like Aegir, Eugen, Émile or Ying Swei would be perfectly fine - hell, they'd probably have the time of their lives - but I can also see some of the Shipgirls being…less enthusiastic about living next door to a garrison of two collective brain cells."

He'd been a part of a dock crew of mostly guys and knew damn well the kind of publicly inappropriate shenanigans they could get up to when given a loose leash and time to be stupid…he wasn't sure how someone like Jeanne or Chao Ho would react to who could make their propeller spin the fastest in order to claim the final beer.

"Oh? Jealous that our attention may be sought after by others?"

"I'm being serious here."

Amagi's amused and matronly expression had the Aloadae sighing in defeat, admitting, "Okay, a little bit jealous. It's ridiculous and I'm working on it."

"Possessiveness, in moderation, is a bit of flattery that would make any woman preen."

The words were accompanied by a slow and suggestive caress courtesy of her tails that was more sensual than any embrace could hope to be, Alexander clearing his throat before responding, "Question still stands."

"I would not fret, Alexander-sama. Akashi planted many defensive systems around our dorm to dissuade robbers or nosy souls from taking her many trinkets. That they can be repurposed to ensure our privacy is merely a happy coincidence. And do you truly believe that any would be allowed to prey upon us without suffering retribution?"

The Aloadae briefly imagined August or Sovetskaya having their temper strained or getting enraged on the behalf of one of their sisters and decided maybe he should be more worried about the Humans bunking next to the Shipgirls rather than the other way around.

"...Well, that sounds like a them problem. Best of luck, people."

"All of that aside this whole place is coming along nicely, I never would have guessed that you had an architect's eye."

Shrugging with liquid grace the Shipgirl replied, "I had ample time when bedridden before Shinano and I's capture to pursue a variety of subjects that may have been of use to my home. Creation of fortresses or defenses was an obvious choice, since I could perform useful work without having to exert myself overmuch. It was a natural consequence of that study that I learned a great deal about how Settlements in more trying climates adapted and overcame such challenges."

"It was time well spent, I think we're going to have a great many happy residents in a few month's time."

Amagi smiled, Planting a kiss on the man's neck before taking a step back and subserviently bowing…deliberately allowing the male a glance down her kimono and the swell of her fabric-covered chest, the fox smiling at the attention as she stated, "I will spread the word, although I would advise you visit the Bakunawa next."

Her words became a touch more resigned.

"Essex has come up with a potential redesign that she requests your input on. It would no doubt be easier to draw her away from her projects if she were not worried they won't ever be brought into the light of day."

"Why did I just feel a chill crawl down my spine at those words?"

The Battleship merely smiled enigmatically, Alexander reflecting that he was starting to unironically fear whatever madness the more mechanically minded Shipgirls came up with.

"Note to self? Do NOT let them get their hands on the theoretical antimatter papers squirreled away inside my head, else we're all doomed."

While his ship had been through a lot since its creation what felt a freakin' decade ago - from fortress to factory to battering ram - Alexander could attest to the fact that it had held together pretty well, having had time to be properly repaired, rearmed and integrated into the sprawling infrastructure of the new Azur Lane. Thick cables and temporary but hardy scaffolding connected the gargantuan vessel to the island as it churned out both significant amounts of power and raw material, Alexander waving to a few of the Bulins as they went about their business before heading to the command bridge, the vessel echoing with the sounds of machinery as he briefly wondered what wizardry the Union Carrier had in store for him before deciding that speculation was pointless, since his assumptions would probably fall far short of the mark.

"I hear you're in the market for crazy ideas again."

"That implies I ever left."

In a change of pace Essex didn't look harried or running on five minutes of sleep, instead all smiles and focus as she manipulated a holographic display of the Bakunawa, blueprints and hardcopies of various drawings scattered about in neat piles as she returned to a tablet time and time again to look over some kind of data that he couldn't see.

"Heard the potentially good news?"

The Carrier tapped the side of her head, responding, "It's all everyone has been talking about. I wouldn't worry so much, Alexander. You'll be able to make it work, take it from the engineer."

Rolling his eyes but feeling his lips curl upwards regardless he motioned for the Shipgirl to carry out her presentation, asking, "Well? Floor's yours, Essex."

"Okay, so I was thinking-"

The young woman abruptly pulled up short, awkwardly coughing before asking, "How…how attached are you to your vessel? Many of us are quite possessive and territorial when it comes to changing any features or specializations, does that apply to you?"

"Uh, yeah? The Bakunawa is my baby."

The Aloadae allowed the Carrier to fret for a few seconds before chuckling, amending, "Kidding, Essex."

The petulant scowl had him feeling mighty fine before more genuinely answering, "The Bakunawa never really had a defined role to begin with, Essex. It went from fortress ship to factory to battering ram in just a few months, never mind came with a jack of all trades set of tools. The poor girl was battleship, carrier, manufactury and technology center all in one without a chance to really excel in any. If you've got an idea for her I'm all ears."

"Funny, I went from being ambivalent and just not generally giving a shit about the thing to actually being invested in its future. Funny how life works."

Taking his words as an exceedingly open invitation Essex flipped around the tablet she'd been working with, revealing a rough blueprint of the Old Siren vessels that had fired the Hunter-Killer drones at his vessel.

"While the Bakunawa is going to remain an important part of our production capabilities for the immediate future we also have to consider that it won't always be needed in that capacity. More to the point, of all our various naval and aviation assets perhaps the area we are embarrassingly behind on is ground complement transportation and support. There was precious little opportunity or reason to employ infantry or heavy vehicles, granted, but the recent raids on Old Siren installations and such has proven that there's a purpose and meaningful reason to have a worthy branch of soldiers that aren't sailors or aviators."

"...Go on."

Positively brimming with excitement Essex moved to the hologram, bringing up side by side comparisons of the armored Old Siren transport and the Bakunawa, his ship no longer seeming quite as intimidating when put alongside similarly oversized vessels.

"We can redesign much of your ship to be focused entirely on the movement and support of a dedicated Marine expeditionary force. By scaling back both the aircraft, factories - especially the ship refitting and repair bay - and HELGA array as well as selectively installing, reinstalling and just outright moving weapon's emplacements it can carry a significant complement of soldiers, drones and their required munitions and materials. Add in a select number of factories, complement delivery options as well as heavy shielding, armor and CIWS weaponry and we have a way to get our men into the battle safely and with all manner of ways to keep them in the fight."

Tapping a button the Bakunawa's image changed slightly, the railcannons replaced by more point-defense while the prow of the vessel was reinforced, thanks to the remodeled ship refitting bay while a more comprehensive missile and sensor package was laced throughout its hull.

"Well? What do you think?"

"I think it's as good a plan as any. We never really had a chance or opportunity to really cement my ship's role and I kinda like the fact that it's going to be doing something unique, since we have no lack of contemporary warship designs and models to choose from."

"I thought you'd like it!"

"Did you?"

The Carrier more sheepishly admitted, "I was hoping you'd like it."

"Well I do. And to be honest I like it when you do stuff like this instead of create weapons of mass destruction."

"It was only two times!"

"Pfft, when talking about stuff on this scale I think-wait, two times?"

Warily glancing at the Carrier Alexander found her sheepishly averting her gaze, indifferently stating, "Oh, well, when we destroyed the Siren weather control device years back we salvaged what we could and in our spare time we tried piecing it back together. See if we could reverse some of the damage that was done, right?"

"...Right."

"So during a trail run it sort of, well…caused a hurricane next to Azur Lane? We had to blow it up and-"

"Essex? I'm fine not knowing the rest, thanks."

"Yes, that's completely alright with me! Should we get going to the research facility?"

"It's not happening for another couple days, Essex."

The Union Shipgirl hid her face behind the tablet, groaning in embarrassment as the Aloadae marveled at the fact she was acting like a schoolgirl who had messed up meeting her crush rather than accidentally mess up the freakin' weather.

…But like Amagi had said the whole meeting was a nice diversion and a good opportunity to get the Carrier away from stumbling across yet another doomsday theory.

"I guess that means I need to make a good showing with my own projects…alright, I think it's just about time I go ahead and do this."

[We're all set here, Sir. Ready to begin when you say go.]

"Copy that. Akashi, TB, how are things on your end?"

"Good as can be, nya!"

"No issues detected, Master."

"Right…alright, initiate the process and get ready to cut the power if things go screwy."

A tangible thrill coursed through the room, voltaic humming slowly rising in intensity as the various generators and bits of machinery came to life, the single Wisdom Cube atop a secured pedestal beginning to ramp up in its intensity as the glow became almost intolerable, Alexander taking a deep breath as he marched forward, knowing that he had every eye both inside the room and a fair few outside watching his every move.

Compiler and TB were making sure every second of the experiment was recorded to the base's servers, the rest of the Neo Sirens tuning in through their eyes while the Admiralty and a fair few officers watched from secured and blast proof observation booths, the Shipgirls and a number of technicians crowding around the pedestal as their minds joined with his, the Aloadae letting memory and sensation filter in without holding back in the slightest, hesitating for a moment before setting his hand on the sunbright Cube, trying to recall what he'd done when bringing forth Aegir and August and translate that into this newest process.

Fire.

That was his first thought and sensation, of incredible heat and light pouring both into and out of his body as a thousand recollections, sounds, tastes, touches and every other stimulus known to man tore through his brain, battering against the intangible walls of the Wisdom Cube as he tried to direct the torrent of feeling towards their desired goal, his lips peeling back from his teeth as he continued to push, not willing to admit defeat at this stage-

-cold. Lonely. Waiting.

It didn't like any of those concepts. It meant formless power and purpose was left to languish in a geometric state of untapped potential, yearning to be brought forth by whatever hands may shape or direct it.

…Warmth. Others. Activity.

It's interest was piqued, strange stimuli drifting across her perception.

"Laffey, I brought you and your friends refreshments, where would you like me to put them?"

The Maid.

"Hoh~? Little Kaninchen, you should not let your shirt drift askew unless you are with a 'valued comrade', wouldn't you agree?"

Zed's flirty sister.

"Heh heh heh, I got that super fluffy pillow you wanted, Laffey! Fresh from the mainland and loaded with every super soft feather one could dream of, nya!"

The minty kitty.

"...You've been staring at the fish for awhile. I won't give you any, but I'll teach you how to catch them yourself."

The frosty fox.

"I know it seems like we don't get along on occasion but it's more like we're just…awkward, with each other. Sometimes I wish I could make friends as easily as you did with Z23, Javelin and Ayanami, Laffey."

Big Sis Enty.

Others. So many others, all remembering her and the times they'd spoken, fought or napped.

…One that remembered her the strongest, scared people all around as an enemy ship closed in, a friendly one dangerously drifting around it before opening fire and saving them, a rapturous moment as she watched herself stand resolutely on the bridge amidst the flak and explosions.

…

Her death, of charging into the storm amidst an enemy fleet, body wracked with sympathetic pain as her friends fell around her, one last burst of heat as she defied their enemy to the last.

"...So why is Laffey alive again?"

The question remained unanswered, lost in the sea of memories that yearned for her return, the Destroyer frowning in contemplation as she tried to figure out what was happening.

…

She promptly decided thinking wasn't her strong suit and swam upwards, going with her gut feeling that the people whose memories of her were being shown wanted her back-

-and with a gasp Laffey stumbled forward, strong arms immediately catching her as a cacophony of noise washed over like an enormous tidal wave, the Shipgirl frowning at the clamor.

What was the big deal? So she returned from the dead, she was allowed to do that.

Probably.

Shaking her head free of the last bits of staticy disorientation that clung to it the Destroyer stared upwards into Alexander's eyes, his expression frantic and yearning all at once as he slowly let go of her, as if the slightest movement would cause her to fall apart like so much fractured glass.

"...Laffey?"

His words were so soft and frightened that she immediately felt compelled to reassure him that she remembered everything just fine…and saw something in the back of the room before deciding there was something more important to address.

"Alexander?"

She pointed towards the pair of culprits.

"Did you get a new pair of bunnies to replace Laffey?"

I-26 and 25 blinked, stared at each other for a second…and a hysterical laugh - or sob, she couldn't tell - left the man, his arms picking her up in a fierce hug as his larger frame trembled with poorly repressed sobs, the Destroyer lightly smiling as she patted his head, enjoying the warmth of the embrace.

"There there. Laffey made it home in one piece. No need to cry."

"Sorry…I think I'm going to do so anyway."

Applause broke out from above and behind, the Union Shipgirl's sisters either wildly cheering, rushing in for a hug or trying to hold back tears of triumph as Laffey realized there were a lot more than she remembered, never mind all the officers and technicians hanging around.

"...Did Laffey miss something?"

A wet sniff left Alexander, the man holding her even tighter.

"Yeah. A lot. But we have time to tell you about it."

"M'kay. Maybe after Laffey gets a nap or two. Being dead isn't being asleep, after all."

If Alexander had anything to say to that it was lost as Vampire, I-25, I-26, I-13, Akashi and several others all grabbed ahold of her, wrapping the Destroyer in a cocoon of affection and hugs as they talked her ears off all at once.

…She gave it a 10/10, best blanket ever.